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Official Santa Clara County Public Health Department Emergency Website

At this time, we are dealing with a new flu virus whose symptoms appear to be similar to other common flu strains. While we remain concerned about the new virus, please be assured that the Santa Clara County Public Health Department is investigating probable cases, monitoring the situation and taking all appropriate measures to limit the spread of this disease. Information on the local situation will be updated as it becomes available.

New Flu Virus (H1N1) Update

June 5, 2009 at 2:00 pm

As of Thursday, June 4, 2009, the Santa Clara County Public Health
Department has reported a total of 87 cases of the new flu virus (H1N1)
in Santa Clara County. The current total includes 45 confirmed cases
and 42 probable cases. Five (5) cases were hospitalized and have either
recovered or are recovering at home.

Influenza is always a serious disease. Each year in the United
States, seasonal influenza causes about 36,000 deaths and more than
200,000 hospitalizations. At this time, the H1N1 virus is behaving much
like seasonal flu, however, health officials do not know how this new
virus may change over time. It’s too soon to predict what will happen,
but this new flu virus has the potential to be at least as and possibly
more serious than seasonal flu.

The Public Health Department will report individual cases for as
long as possible, and then will use a seasonal surveillance system to
track the progress of the H1N1 flu virus. Routine seasonal surveillance
does not count individual cases, but instead monitors activity levels
through a local surveillance system based in most of the Emergency
Departments of hospitals in our community.

Since this new flu virus is still circulating in our community, it
is important for all of us to continue to take common sense precautions.

If you are feeling sick stay home from work or school. If your symptoms get worse, call your physician or medical provider.

Wash your hands with soap and hot water to get rid of germs and
prevent the spread of disease, especially after coughing and sneezing.
If you do not have soap and water, use a waterless hand gel with an
alcohol base of at least 60%.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue whenever you sneeze and
cough. Throw the tissue away in a waste basket. If you do not have a
tissue, sneeze or cough into the fold of your elbow, without using your
hands.

Everyday, we learn more about this virus. The actions and guidance
the Public Health Department provides may change in response to what we
learn. That is our role, but you too have a role in protecting yourself
and your family and it is important to stay informed. Health officials
will provide additional information as it becomes available, but right
now you can go to www.sccphd.org or visit www.cdc.gov for more information.

Information about the new flu virus, H1N1, is also available on the
California Department of Public Health’s toll-free hotline at
1-888-865-0564 (Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and
Saturday/Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.).